Avalanche Forecast

Issued: Mar 29th, 2014 3:00PM

The alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is moderate. Known problems include Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.

mike.koppang, Alberta Parks

Kananaskis.

Pay close attention to winds. Lots of new snow is available for transport at higher elevations so when winds increase, new slabs will build quickly.

Summary

Confidence

Fair

Weather Forecast

Another system is expected to cross over the forecast region here today with up to 15cm of new snow expected over the next 48hrs. Moderate winds are forecast to persist out of the SW at higher elevations so watch for snow transport at treeline elevations and above.

Avalanche Summary

Suprisingly little natural avalanche activity but we did observed 1 Sz 2 avalanche on the south face of Commonwealth ridge area. The slab was 150-200cm deep and 80m wide but we were unable to tell how far it ran.

Snowpack Summary

Not much change out there today. An additional 10cm of new snow fell overnight with some isolated moderate westerly winds at higher elevations. These winds are building new windslabs on lee features but so far, these slabs do not seem to extend far downslope. Moist snow was observed on solar aspects later in the day.

Problems

Wind Slabs

Fresh windslabs are building on lee features in the Alpine and in isolated areas at treeline.

Avoid freshly wind loaded features.>Use caution in lee areas in the alpine. Recent wind loading have created wind slabs.>Avoid lee and cross-loaded terrain near ridge crests.>

Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.

Elevations: Alpine, Treeline.

Likelihood

Possible - Likely

Expected Size

2 - 4

Persistent Slabs

This layer has not produced much activity of late but still remains a concern from thinner snowpack areas.

Be aware of thin areas that may propogate to deeper instabilites.>

Aspects: All aspects.

Elevations: All elevations.

Likelihood

Possible

Expected Size

2 - 5

Valid until: Mar 30th, 2014 2:00PM